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how to decide which books to use
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Hi,
I’m new here, and hope to use SCM next year with my 1st and 2nd grader. I am confused about what books to use, though. In the science list, it seems to have like 15 books that could be used from 1-3rd grade (if I remember correctly). I’m not sure how many should be used in a given year. 1, 2, 3? What does everyone else do? I am currently using Ambleside, but need to use something that will be easier to combine my children. I also have a busy 2 year old, so I’m trying to keep things from getting too much to handle.
Thanks!
Hi Alice 🙂
The 106 Days of Creation mentioned on the Science Curriculum page is a handbook that would schedule some of the listed books for you. Click on it an look at the sample of the teacher’s guide.
Plus, you can just pick a subject and use whatever you want from the list that is age appropriate. Since I am by no means an expert on this, you will surely get some more replies that will be more helpful. 🙂
Amanda
Thank you Amanda!
I thought that the 106 Days of Creation was seperate from the list of books on the right hand side. That you choose one or the other. Did I misunderstand that?
Alice
The list of things on the left side are actual courses or curriculums put together for you. The list on the right are living books that you can use to either suppliment the curriculums on the right or use alone if you do not wish to use a curriculum in 1-6th grades.
What I was saying was that if you want to follow a basic outlined curriculum that has living books scheduled in for you, 106 Days of Creation does that very thing. It also lists some fun experiments to do too.
Apologia does not schedule the living book suppliments for you but you could add them if you wish to.
In my opinion Apologia might be a little much for a 1st or 2nd grader. It gets pretty…..well, scientific….LOL. We did Apologia Land Animals of the 6th Day last year with a 2nd and 3rd graders and it was hard for them to understand some of the terms and vocabulary at that age. But that is just my opinion.
I hope that makes some since……
Amanda
Ok…I think I understand a little better!
I will look at it further, and then if I’m still lost, I’ll post again! Thanks so much for your help!Alice
Another question. There are several curriculum that is in the 1st-6th grade “box” – Exploring Creation with Botney, Flying Creatures, Swimming Creatures, Astronomy, Land Animals and Human Anatomy. Since they are all grouped together, does that mean they are all good to use in any grade from 1st-6th? I’m having a difficult time understanding how a book can be used for 1st grade and also be good for 6th. It seems like such a big jump in grades. Sorry for my questions! (Feeling kinda slow)!
Thanks,
Alice
They are actually good, for all those grades and even older. They are really amazing books. In first and second grade they are not going to remember the detailed names so much. But it reads in story form so it is still understandable. I personally like it better for grades 3 and up – while of course the little ones listen in. Especially if you are just going to read to them and let them narrate. Not require much in way of theextra questions.
The Flying Creature, Swimming Creatures and Land Animals have to be done in order.
Our children loved the Bot. study. You want to do it preferably before the snow flys. That is if you are in snow country. :O)
Thank you! That makes sense. I think I will start with 106 Days next year (we started our shool year in June, and are more than 1/2 way done, so that’s why I’m looking at this so “early”) with 1st and 2nd grader, and then just go through the others for the next several years. Thanks for mentioning the order of those books!
Alice
Hi Alice
My dd is 8.4 and she started this past Aug. Her schedule started out with living books (that were mostly downloaded from The Gutenberg Project and The Baldwin Project.) We’ve enjoyed Clara Dillingham Pierson a lot and Thorton Burgess books. (T.B. books are available at the library) She did that for the first 6 weeks of the 1st term (12 weeks). Now she is moving to the Apologia Botany book for the next 6 weeks or so. (I want to have a schedule but if things are going really well, we’ll just keep going and forget the 6 weeks on/off schedule). After that she’ll go back to more living books for a spell and back again. I figured that would be a nice variety. Apologia is pretty advanced IMO. For your kids i think you could wait until next year and use this year to find one you can borrow to check out thoroughly. I think you’re going to love it, though. And it could be time well spent trying to find a used one. They are about $35 new but I’ve seen some for $10 and I bought one for $15 so keep looking, once you know it’s for you.
Incase that was confusing, we do:
Each term of 12 weeks:
6 weeks living books
6 weeks Apologia
IMO the living books are so rich and too wonderful to leave on the shelf!
Yolanda
ETA: If you can, check out all the Apologia books. they are wonderful. The Zoology books could be tweaked for your kids easier than others so that might be a good place to start. By that I just mean that you could leave out some info that they may not be ready for without leaving out a whole lot. Like in Botany it goes into Latin terms and vascular and nonvascular plants, angiosperms, and gymnosperms. it’s all great info but….well, just check them all out from someone and you’ll get a feel for which you would want to start with. 🙂
Yolanda,
Thank you for the info. We are currently reading through the Burgess Bird Book. I enjoy it, but my son just tolerates it. But that’s most likely because it’s a “narration book” as we call it here! I looked briefly at the Botany book, and I really liked what I read. It didn’t seem terribly advanced. I mean, yes there is the vocabulary and such, but I guess I know that my kids won’t need to remember all that anyway at this age. I love the conversational style!! I did take a quick look, and found it cheaper at Amazon.com.
Thanks again to everyone who took the time to help me out!!
AliceYolanda, then are you saying that it takes only 6 weeks to get through the Botany book? Or are you simply splitting it into 6-week sections to alternate it with living books? The biggest reason I ask is because we do live where the snow flies…..and flies, and flies, and flies some more, come January! Of course, by the end of March, the kids are “boo-hooing” about not having enough snow left to go sledding….
Sue
The Botany book definitely takes more than six weeks to get through. It is written for a full school-year and could be spread out over more for younger children, imo.
We live were the snow flys as well. And you can do it when the snow flys but I like taking off the winter in it and going to other stuff for the winter. Just like how hands on it can be when out in nature and seeing and doing. There are certain chapters you can do in the winter more. We did not do any of it from Nov. till March. But again there also was a baby born :O)
Hi Sue,
Jeaninpa said it….it’s worth a whole year, or more, of study. The way we’re using it is for 6 weeks. Whatever we get accomplished, that’s where we leave it. Dd is the kind of gal who will want a change around that time and that’s the reason for changing.
The first chapter will have taken two weeks. The next chapter looks like it will take about 7 days so a week and a few days into the next. So, with that in mind, we’ll just keep plugging along and see where we are at 6 weeks.
By the end of our year she should be finished or close to finishing the 13 chapters, going at a nice gradual pace. I like to take just a bit each day so she really understands it and we can put it into practice when nature study comes along.
I love these books and read them for pleasure!
Yolanda
I will look at it further, and then if I’m still lost, I’ll post again! Thanks so much for your help!
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